SB 1192- Relating to Electronic Prescribing

On Monday, April 8, SB 1192 by Senator Aaron Bean (R-Jacksonville) was heard in the Senate Health Policy Committee and was reported favorably with 9 yeas and 0 nays. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, stood in support of this legislation.

Electronic prescribing (e-prescribing) is a method by which an authorized health care practitioner electronically transmits a prescription to a pharmacy using a secure software system. Efforts have been made by states, as well as the federal government, to increase the use of e-prescribing software. Beginning January 1, 2020, unless under certain circumstances, SB 1192 requires prescribers to generate and transmit all prescriptions electronically.

SB 1192 will now move to the Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Health and Human Services.

AIF supports legislation that provides for improved prescription accuracy, increased patient safety, reduced opportunities for fraud and abuse and reduced overall costs.  Improving the overall functionality and cost will further enable Florida employers to provide health care coverage for our citizens.

SB 1180 – Relating to Consumer Protections from Nonmedical Prescription Drug Formularies

On Monday, April 8, SB 1180 by Senator Debbie Mayfield (R-Melbourne) was heard before the Senate Health Policy Committee and was reported favorably with 8 yeas and 1 nay. AIF’s Senior Vice President of State and Federal Affairs, Brewster Bevis, spoke in opposition to this legislation.

A major driver of health care costs is the rising cost of medicines. Drug companies raise the prices of both new and old medicines at will. No government body—not the Federal Trade Commission, not the Food and Drug Administration, and not the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services—have rules or laws that dictate or restrict the price a pharmaceutical company can set for a drug - and in most cases, there’s nothing that restricts how much a drug company can raise that price.

This bill would eliminate the only current force to counter the price increases on pharmaceuticals – the threat of losing insurance coverage, which helps push back on arbitrary price hikes. Handcuffing the negotiators who work hard to make sure drugs are affordable is bad public policy and will help make health insurance even more unaffordable.

SB 1180 will now move to the Senate Rules Committee.

AIF opposes legislation that removes cost controls and increases healthcare costs for Florida businesses.